‘We can’t claim for a large lunch': MPs attack rules on their £15 dinner allowance

MPs have complained about rules on their meal allowances, saying they cannot claim for a ‘large lunch’, have to ‘watch the clock’ until they are eligible for dinner expenses and receive less than soldiers and civil servants.

During a hearing with two senior figures from the expenses watchdog, the system that allows them to claim £15 per night for food and non-alcoholic drinks when they are required to be in Parliament because the House of Commons sits beyond 7.30pm came under scrutiny.

Labour’s Kevan Jones told the hearing he never claims the full amount but said he could not understand why MPs could not claim for a lunchtime meal instead of dinner.

He said: ‘If, for example, I choose at lunchtime to have a meal and then have a snack in the evening, you will not pay for the one at lunchtime.

‘You will perhaps pay for the snack in the evening, even if it all comes to less than £15. Why is that?’

IPSA chief executive Andrew McDonald said the provision relates to the additional costs that MPs incur because of late sittings.

Mr Jones replied: ‘Yes, but I might choose to have my large lunch at lunchtime, and perhaps have a sandwich at teatime, and that is how I choose to eat. You do not allow me to claim now for the lunchtime costs.’

He pointed to ‘comparable’ rates, saying: ‘For example, civil servants, when I was a Minister, I think claimed £24 a night for receipted food.’

It was also suggested by one of his colleagues that serving soldiers can claim £29.

The Ministry of Defence said members of the armed forces who are living away from their main base for an extended period get £8.50 a day for ‘food and incidentals’, while a £25 allowance is given for all three meals for those away on courses.

Labour MP Thomas Docherty said the rule meaning non-London members can only claim for dinner when the House sits beyond 7.30pm is ‘ludicrous’.

He told John Sills, director of policy at the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, it had created a situation where MPs are left to ‘watch the clock’ until 7.31pm in order to claim for their dinner.

‘You are either away or you are not away from home, if that makes sense’, he said.

The politicians later clarified the comments they made at the hearing of the House of Commons administration committee.

Mr Jones told Metro: ‘IPSA have made changes to the scheme but the subsistence allowance is arbitrary and needs looking at as many claims are costly to administrate and poor value for the taxpayer. MPs should be treated no differently to all others who claim subsistence allowances because of working away from home.’

He also defended himself on Twitter today. In response to one user who suggested he was ‘greedy’ and ‘wants £24 a night for his dinner’, he replied: ‘No, just a sensible system that does not cost the taxpayer more to administer than the claim.’

Mr Docherty told the Daily Telegraph he had ‘no problem’ with the receipts or the £15 figure, adding: ‘My point is that it’s ludicrous that the test that is applied is the House of Commons Chamber sitting at 7.31pm… That in itself is not the only measure of what MPs are doing.’